Novak Djokovic vs Botic van de Zandschulp 10/6/22 Astana Open Tennis Picks, Predictions, Odds

Novak Djokovic will meet Botic van de Zandschulp in the Round of 16 at the 2022 Astana Open in Kazakhstan. The match will be played on Thursday October 6th, 2022.

Novak Djokovic is ranked 7th in the world and is the fourth seed here at the Astana Open. The tennis legend arrived in Kazakhstan in great form, winning his 89th career title in Tel Aviv last week. He didn’t drop a set en route to that title, and started here in a similar vein, crushing Cristian Garin for the loss of only two games. It was a stunning display against the talented Chilean, and Djokovic seems to be on a mission to close out the year on a high. While this is a talented field here at the Astana Open, no-one can match his pedigree and experience, and with his counter-punching game seemingly at its peak, he is the massive favorite here against Botic van de Zandschulp.

Botic van de Zandschulp is unseeded here at the Astana Open and is the 34th ranked player in the world. The Dutchman has a reputation of being a very hard worker and solid player, who has added some firepower to his game recently. He had an easy draw here in the First Round, dominating local Wild Card Beibeit Zhukayev 6-1, 6-1, matching his opponent Novak Djokovic’s score line. While Van de Zandschulp has a strong all around game, he lacks the firepower to hit through the former world number one, and will have to rely on Djokovic having a bad or erratic day. Sadly for him, that is not a likely scenario so he will have to battle for the win the old fashioned way. Even his best may not be good enough so he seems to be in for a tough day at the office.

This should be a runaway win for Novak Djokovic, especially given the form that he is in. Botic van de Zandschulp is by no means a pushover but simply lacks the focus, firepower and experience to make this competitive here. Djokovic is one of the all-time tactical masters of the game and I expect him to pick the Dutchman’s game apart, winning in two relatively comfortable sets. Back Djokovic in straight sets to maximize winnings.